Clark fits Bears' tight end mold

When it comes to Bears history, let's talk running backs and middle linebackers. Hall of Famers everywhere you turn.

Sure, the Bears have a Hall of Fame tight end in Mike Ditka, which was great for the 1960s. But the phalanx of hopefuls who have played the position since then haven't done much.

"I know Mike Ditka, Mike Ditka and Mike Ditka--and a little Emery Moorehead," said Desmond Clark, the latest Bear who will try to fix a position that has been to the Bears what third base has been to the Cubs since Ron Santo.

The Bears must deal with reality, so the key here is not Ditka, but rather Moorehead. No point in hanging around for the next Hall of Fame tight end to come to town. The Bears may have helped invent the position four decades ago, but perfecting it has proved to be another matter. For the sake of their sanity, the next Emery Moorehead will do just fine.

Some might consider that setting sights a bit low, but the Bears are more likely to stumble across the next Payton or Sayers than they are the next Kellen Winslow or John Mackey. The Bears made the most out of Moorehad in the 1980s, and it helped them win a Super Bowl.

Moorehead came to the Bears in 1981 as an oversized (6 feet 2 inches, 225 pounds) receiver who had had nominal success with the Giants and Broncos, who had just waived him. The Bears noted his size and their need and turned him into a serviceable tight end. Never a dominating blocker, he made the tight end part of the passing game. In the next six seasons, he averaged 31 catches and caught 12 touchdown passes. Not overwhelming stats, but considering he had to share the ball with Payton, Willie Gault, Dennis McKinnon and Matt Suhey, not bad.

Moorehead retired after the 1988 season, and the Bears haven't seen his likes since . . . now.

Like Moorehead, Clark was a college wide receiver who outgrew the position.

"I was 220 as a freshman [at Wake Forest], 230 as a sophomore, 240 as a junior and 250 as a senior," Clark said.

He caught 216 passes to set the ACC career receptions record.

At 6-3 and 257 pounds, Clark has an inch and 32 pounds on Moorehead. And with his size, he will be hard to miss in the Bears' passing game.

"From what I've seen, they're going to use me to stretch the field and create some different matchups," Clark said as the Bears wrapped up their off-season workouts in Lake Forest.

Clark spent his first three seasons in Denver, but was waived the end of training camp last year after dislocating his forearm. It didn't help his career that Shannon Sharpe, who seems destined to join Ditka in Canton some day, had returned to Denver from Baltimore. Clark was released and picked up by Miami, where he caught two passes all season.

Clark has had only one big season, 2001. Playing in a two tight-end offense, he caught 51 passes for an 11.1-yard average and six touchdowns, tying the Chiefs' Tony Gonzalez for the NFL lead among tight ends.

The Bears hope that season was a forecast, not a fluke.

"I'm still at that level, if not higher," Clark said. "Last year I was hurt at Denver and then went to a team that already had established its tight end."

If he can produce in the 50-catch neighborhood this fall, the Bears will be pleased. The Bears haven't had a tight end that productive since Ditka averaged 62 catches in his first four seasons (1961-64).

"I know I can catch 50 balls. It's just, will they come to me 50 times? I know I'll be open. When I get matchups with linebackers and safeties, I know I'll be able to beat those guys."

The Bears' tight end corps produced a total of 50 catches last year, but for only a 10-yard average. Moorehead averaged 14 yards per catch in his six seasons as a starter.

"The Bears have been going to three and four wide receivers on second and third down," Moorehead said. "Throw [Clark] the ball and give him a chance."

That will be up to offensive coordinator John Shoop, who will resume his efforts to get the ball to the tight end when the Bears open training camp July 25 in Bourbonnais.

"Sometimes in practice, and you'll see it in camp, we say, `Forget the read, force the ball to the tight end,' because the quarterback and the tight end have to gain confidence in each other," Shoop said.